


The Secrets Beneath

by NoodleSpudoodle



Series: The Supernatural Chronicles [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Boyfriends, Canon Gay Character, Canon LGBTQ Male Character, Character Turned Into Vampire, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Fantasy, Gay, Human/Vampire Relationship, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Married Couple, Murder, Mystery, Original Character(s), Past Violence, Supernatural Elements, Vampire Bites, Vampire Turning, Vampires, Violence, Werewolf, Werewolf Turning, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-17 21:18:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16103978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoodleSpudoodle/pseuds/NoodleSpudoodle
Summary: After an unfortunate event that left Jules home schooled and an outcast, his fathers receive a strange letter delivered several years past its date with the notice of the death of his grandfather who he'd never met, and a deed to the house of his dad's childhood.Upon arriving to their seemingly normal new home, and observing the town and its history, it is clear to Jules that Salem Oaks isn't quite what it seems to be.Why are people going missing?Why are his fathers acting so strange?Why are there gaps in his memory?Just who was his grandfather?What is the town hiding?Join Jules as he befriends the mysterious Lucean, and they set out to discover answers yet untold, and just what dark secrets lie beneath the surface.Literally.





	1. Prologue

Now that he observed the town for what seemed like the first time since he'd moved in, it somehow seemed to be growing darker, holding a much more sinister appearance, easily comparable to what one's first thought would be when told to imagine a town that had been abandoned to crime and nature's hands for close to a century.

The buildings had a worn-out, haggard appearance, with bricks missing, cracks and slash marks running through the outer walls, with ivy crawling up through the crevices as if reaching for the deep, graying sky in hopes of escaping the hellish place. Windows held yellowed stains, and the pavement had split in places, crude gashes striking the surfaces, moss seeping out of the gaps like blood from an oozing wound. Even the beaming sign of the local restaurant flickered and fizzed, the color much more dimmed than he remembered it being when he and Matt had first gone to eat dinner.

How had such a perfect place have gotten to look like this?

He wondered briefly, if the town had ever really been the pristine, upkept development he'd remembered, or if he'd somehow been tricked into seeing it differently. If he would have arrived with the town looking as it did, and someone were to show him a picture of the scene he'd first viewed from beyond the rain and leaf spattered windows, he would have shaken his head, snickered, and told them to try to fool someone more gullible.

Jules glanced from the town to Lucean, who stood beside him on the lonely hill, his lips pressed firmly together to form a thin line, his eyes void of any thought, or emotion as rain battered against his skin. For a moment, he looked like an empty shell, until he twitched slightly, as if sensing Jules's gaze, and glanced to the smaller teen to catch him staring, cracking him a reassuring smile to ease him, sensing his concern.

"This... this seems like a nightmare." Jules breathed, turning back to the town in faint disbelief. "Has it always looked like this?"

Lucean nodded wordlessly.

"Always."

Wind howled through the air, accompanied by deafening booms of thunder, causing the grass beneath them to shudder and hiss. Lucean shivered from the cold, and he silently moved his hand towards Jules's own, lacing their fingers together. The ginger glanced back to him, squeezing his hand in return, his hair swishing about in the harsh, frigid breeze despite the rain.

"We can do this, Jules." Lucean assured with a nod. "A smart guy like you and his fearsome protector. Virtually undefeatable!"

Jules offered a quiet laugh. "Yeah. Whatever this place is hiding," he paused to cast his gaze back out over the monstrous town with a fierce sense of determination, "we'll find it."


	2. The Train

The teen gazed lazily out of the window, occasionally beginning to nod off back into his nap before his head would snap upwards at a sharp burst of an exaggerated guitar chord from his headphones. What was outside of his window was extremely underwhelming for scenery, to say the least, although it didn't help that everything was whipping past at a rapid speed, due to the train's incredibly fast pace. He wasn't too eager to be moving, that much was for certain, even if it meant he'd get to start out fresh with new people who hadn't so much as a clue to what he was like.

A yawn slipped from his lips, and he groaned, stretching out his limbs and rising to his feet. His back hurt from having to sleep sitting up, and he figured a little walk would help. Jules moved to the compartment door, sliding it open to find his dad, Matt, boredly drumming his fingers along the base of the window.

At the sight of his son, Matt smiled thinly, chuckling at the state of Jules's hair, which stuck up in every direction gravitationally possible. "How was your nap, sleeping beauty?" He asked teasingly, folding his arms over his chest. "I can't imagine those seats were too comfortable for you."

"Nope, not at all." The ginger admitted. "You'd think they would have beds here, or something. Not everyone goes on a half day trip." He took a seat across from Matt, using the edge of the seat to hold himself in place as he twisted his back about, heaving a sigh as it gave several relieving pops. "I don't get why we couldn't have just taken the plane, you know. It's not like we have all of our boxes with us, so what difference would it have made?"

"Three train tickets were cheaper than three for the airplane, Jules, and we get added family bonding time." Matthew pointed out, then added, "That and neither your father, nor I know how to work a computer properly, and Casimir doesn't like these new plane inventions."

Jules rolled his eyes. "Tragic. Truly." He glanced about for any sign of a pamphlet listing the weekly stops the train would be making, but had no luck in the brief endeavor. "When are we getting to the place anyways? I don't know how much longer I can stand this train."

Matt chuckled softly, amused. "Be patient. We've only been on the train for three days, Julien. Waiting another day or so won't kill you." He reached into the pocket of his seat, where he drew out a book, and cracked it open to read, slipping on the pair of glasses he was notorious for wearing whenever he decided to grab a book. "Besides, I thought you didn't want to move, Mister 'there's no point'?"

"I didn't, and I still don't."

The man shook his head with a snort. "Like I said, be patient. How about you go and read something yourself? I'm sure your father has a few extra books with him."

Jules made a face. "I've already looked at the books he brought. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not read about the types of exotic birds you can find in Europe." He protested, then motioned to the magazines on the racks that had been bolted into the walls. "And the magazines around here are all about vacationing, swimsuit models, and... worse."

The teen bit his lip, averting his eyes to the bagged stack of books his father had left out before going to bed. "Besides, those books are all three hundred or more years old. You'd have to be Shakespeare to be able to understand the kind of English in half of those. Or Casey." He set the bag in his lap and dug a hand in, careful not to mess up the fragile bindings as he examined them. "The only legible one is the bird book."

"How about one of mine, then?" Matthew offered, patting the pocket at his side.

"Tempting, but no thanks. Sorry, Matt."

Matthew only shrugged. "Suit yourself, I suppose."

Jules swung his feet about, attempting to find a way to entertain himself, eventually settling on making small conversation. "How are you, anyways?"

"Hungry," Matt began, glancing up to Jules and shrugging a shoulder to the other compartments, "but I can't seem to find anyone here who has a decent enough blood type. Although, I guess I don't have room to be picky on a train with barely any occupants."

"Gross."

Matt scoffed, giving him a look. "You might think so, but the passenger wouldn't remember anything afterwards, so it's not that big of a deal." He stated, then smiled pleasantly. "Lucky for you, you won't have the burden of drinking blood, or the like."

Jules bit his lip. "I still don't understand why you won't tell me more about vampires, Dad."

The smile on Matt's face immediately dropped, and he narrowed his eyes at the boy before him, giving him a disapproving look. "How many times must we go over this; You don't need to know. It's been this way since the first time you asked, and that isn't going to change. Now drop it, Julien."

There was a moment of silence, and the redhead couldn't help but bite back. "I won't ever be one, so what's the harm in it?" He countered. "Hell, Casey would tell me all he knew, if you'd just let him!"

"Not so loud, Julien. We're not the only ones here."

"Oh, I didn't notice."

Matt rose to his feet. "Don't you get smart with me, young man! If I tell you that you aren't permitted to learn about vampires, you will listen to me, do you understand?!"

Jules jumped, shrinking back and casting his gaze to the floor. Matt hesitated, running a hand through his hair and sitting himself back down.

"Jules..."

"I... I'm sorry. With all of the things that have gone on, I just..."

"I understand."

A guilty look flickered on Jules's face, and he stepped back into the caravan over, leaving Matt by himself. The man massaged at his temples, shaking his head and gritting his teeth, when a set of footsteps came from the hall behind him. He glanced back to see Casey stepping into the room, watching as he tried to decipher the situation.

"It happened again, didn't it?" Casey asked softly, seating himself beside his husband and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it, he'll come around eventually, just give him a bit of time to cool off."

"It's going to end up worse than the relationship you two have, at this rate." Matt remarked, leaning on the blond's shoulder and sighing heavily. "All we do is get into needless arguments."

Casey shook his head in protest. "Now, Matthew, you know that isn't true." He chastised, folding his arms over his chest before softening his tone. "You just... have a habit of restraining him sometimes. If you just gave him little tidbits of what he wants once in awhile, maybe he'd ask less. Doesn't that seem fair, dear?"

Matthew shot the older vampire a knowing look. "I refuse to give him any more knowledge on the subject, Casimir, you know my stance." He let his head rest in the crook of Casey's neck. "All he needs to know is that his fathers happen to be vampires, and that's it. Rules are rules, and you of all people should know that."

"I suppose." Casey mumbled defeatedly.

Silence enveloped the compartment, and Matt laced his fingers with Casey's, squeezing his hand. "Do you think he'll be okay?" He asked quietly, unsure. "I can't help but wonder if this is too much for him. Especially with━"

"Matthew, darling, that was a long time ago. We've already discussed this, and it's much too late to turn back now."

The brunet shook his head. "I still don't know about this."

Casey planted a soft, reassuring kiss on Matt's cheek. "You should get some sleep, Matt. I'll keep an eye on our son for now."

"You'd better!" Matt slipped out of his seat and began to start off for the baggage cart, but turned back. "And so help me, if I hear one word about━"

"Goodnight, Matthew." Casey chuckled, waving him off.

Matt hummed, moving out the door. "Goodnight, Cass."

The door clicked shut behind him, and Casey whistled softly. "Good riddance, he looked absolutely exhausted." He murmured to himself, then stood up to knock on the thin, rickety door to Jules's compartment. "Julien, dear, a word?"

A faint scuffle could be heard from behind the door, and Jules slowly slid it open, biting his lip at the sight of Casey and immediately darting his eyes to the floor, expecting a few choice words from the man.

"Look, Case, if this is about Matt..."

"Relax, you've said your apologies, and that is enough." Casey eased, holding his hands out in front of him defensively. "I simply think that you two should give each other a break. After all, he's under a large amount of stress as well. You both need to take it easy. Do you think you could manage that for me, dear?"

Jules hesitated, then nodded. "If you say so." He mumbled.

Casey beamed down at his son, moving a hand to ruffle his hair, which Jules promptly pushed aside. "Now, that's more like it. Thank you for listening to me." He said softly, tutting as Jules turned to leave and drawing him back. "I do like it when we talk, Julien. It makes me feel a lot better." The vampire invited him to sit, which the teen did, and he seated himself opposite him. "I couldn't have asked for a better son. Matthew has certainly raised you as well as he could without me."

There was a small pause in the conversation, which was ended by Jules.

"Casey?"

"Julien?"

The teen sighed. "Thanks for coming back."

"I had to." Casey smiled sweetly. "You're my son, after all. As soon as my business was taken care of around Salem Oaks, I got onto a train as fast as I could to be able to finally meet you after fourteen years." He said, suddenly saddening at the thought. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were growing up, Jules. I can't imagine what it was like, and I know it doesn't help by saying this, but... you've truly become a remarkable young man."

"You did what you had to do, Case. Whatever it was, you had to have had a good reason."

"Many reasons, indeed. But that still doesn't erase the fact that I was still gone." Casey ran a thoughtful hand through his hair. "How about we get us some food to eat? I have no doubt you're hungry, and it could serve to lighten the mood."

Jules frowned. "You can't eat food."

Casey merely shrugged at the point. "It couldn't hurt to try. I've not had the chance to indulge in modern human pleasantries in many centuries."

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess. I wouldn't hold too high expectations for the train food, either way. It's a far cry from what Matt pulls out of his cookbook."

"I wouldn't think so." Casey chuckled. "Even if I can't eat his cooking, it smells delicious. Too bad for you that he isn't in charge of assembling their pre-made meals."

━━━ 

Casey made his way back into their main compartment, Jules following close at his heels, and he fell back into his seat, groaning. "I don't think that food agreed with me too much." He admitted bashfully, earning a laugh from Jules, who promptly sat himself in his own seat.

"You should have seen your face! It's like you've never eaten a burger before."

The vampire shrugged, shaking his head. "I have not."

"Welcome to America, Case. We eat burgers."

"I've been in America for most of my life, Lee." Casey remarked. "The burger would have had to have originated in Britain during the late twelfth century or early thirteenth to be available during my time as a human." He elegantly folded his hands in his lap, a pleasant smile donning his lips. "But alas, we didn't have hamburgers then, and such grimy, greasy things would not have been fit for wealthy aristocrats."

A faraway look glittered in Casey's eyes, and he hummed. "Sometimes, I wish my father and I had never left Europe. It was a lovely place. I would have enjoyed taking you to sightsee."

Jules's expression shifted from amused to appreciative, and he snickered. "That was a long time ago, Casey. If you haven't noticed, things are much different now. In Britain and here."

"I'm painfully aware." Casey narrowed his eyes jokingly at his son. "Children were much more respectful back then." He pointed out, sharing a chuckle with Jules at his words. "Feeding is exponentially easier nowadays, though, so I shouldn't complain."

The corners of the ginger's lips curled upwards. "No more pitchforks and torches?"

"No, none of that anymore." Casey reached back in his mind to when he'd been turned, unable to help a small frown. "Back then, many people were accused of being either witches or vampires. Most individuals were wealthy, and falsely accused." He explained. "Times used to be difficult. Modern vampires, as small as their population is, have it easier."

Jules tilted his head to the side in curiosity. "What else used to happen?"

"Julien." Casey warned, crossing his arms.

"What?" Jules asked, feigning innocence. "Technically, I'm not asking about vampires."

Casey paused to consider the situation, his eagerness to pass on his knowledge overpowering his reluctant loyalty to Matthew's rules. "You and your loopholes." He snorted, eventually continuing his recollections. "Normally, the accused had been buried alive before people would go around pointing fingers. In most cases, being buried alive was an unfortunate accident, but if the townspeople truly despised you enough, one would drop poison in your food or drink to put you to sleep for awhile. At least until the burial process was finished, that is."

Jules made a face. "What about the people who were actually vampires?"

"Most of those who truly were vampires were smart enough to avoid the accusations, or killed the accusers before they could say anything." Casey took a sudden fascination with his hands, sliding his fingernail underneath another to rid it of the small specks of dirt it had acquired. "However, the newer ones at the time never listened to their sires, and would go on killing sprees. They couldn't help themselves, what with how much experience they lacked.

"You hear stories about how plagues swept through countries, but more often than not, it was because of vampire overpopulation, and the massive killings that followed. Us elder ones were given the duty to... well..." He worried the hem of his shirt with his fingertips, "You know what I mean."

The two sat for a while, pensively gazing out into the darkness just through the window, moonlight flickering through the trees and casting dancing shadows across the floor.

"You know," Jules started, waiting until he had his father's attention to continue, "you've never told me much about Grandpa." He crossed his legs in the chair, settling his hands on his knees and leaning in a little. "I mean, you were living with him for fourteen years after I was born, and a long time before you and Matt moved away from the area. You have to have a story or two to tell, right? We're moving into the house you sort of grew up in, after all."

Casey bit his lip, debating whether or not to indulge in the subject. "Your grandfather... wasn't a good man, Julien. Truthfully enough, neither was I." He admitted shamefully. "It would keep my mind at ease if you were to know nothing of the man and his unruly deeds."

"Can you at least tell me his name?"

The vampire nodded. "His name was Raymond. Raymond Carrigan."

Jules thought for a moment. "What about the letter? The one you got from the mayor?"

"What about it?"

"We got it last month." Julien said. "But it says that Grandpa died years ago, after you left. Don't you think that's a little weird?" The teen furrowed his brows in thought, frowning deeply. "Why would we just be getting the letter now? Why not when he died?"

"I..." Casey sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I... don't know."

Despite Casey's words, Jules felt as if the man was leaving a few details out. "Are you sure you don't know?" He asked.

"I assure you, Julien. James's motive in sending that letter years after are a mystery to me."

Jules raised a brow. "So you don't know anything?"

"I don't have a hint of a clue."

"But don't you think it's a little bit strange?" Jules pressed, persistent in his prodding for information. "Just a little bit?"

Casey huffed impatiently. "I think that's enough questions, Julien. I would greatly appreciate it if you were to ask no more of them."

Julien only stared back at him, still unconvinced.

"Please take heed of my words, Julien, and don't poke around for answers." Casey advised. "I wouldn't want you getting hurt."

Getting hurt?

"That train jerked about so much, you'd think there was an earthquake in the baggage car!" Matt seethed, storming into the train compartment, dark circles hanging beneath his eyes. "I could barely sleep!"

"Ah, Matthew, you're awake!"

The brunet only grunted, plopping himself down in his seat. "I'd much rather have slept on a bed of thorns!"

Casey chuckled. "We're cursed, darling. It's either a coffin, or no sleep at all."

"Damned curse. Couldn't there have been an exception for trains, at least?" Matthew whined, crossing a leg over the other. "It was like being flung about as if I were some rag doll."

Jules couldn't help but laugh at his dad's complaints. "I don't think they expect anyone to be sleeping back there, Mattie. Much less in a coffin."

"You pose a fair point." Matt ruffled Jules's hair, happy that the boy was back in a decent mood. "Did I miss anything, Casimir?"

"Only dinner, Matthew." Casey took on an excited tone. "We had burgers."

However, Jules was quick to pipe up, "Casey nearly threw up!"

Matt cocked a brow at his husband, folding his arms over his chest and tilting his head. "Is that right? And to think you were just telling me of the consequences of the vampire curse, Casimir." He tutted. "You should know better than I that we can't eat regular food."

Casey shrugged in response. "What can I say? I was curious, can you blame me?" He rubbed at Jules's shoulder, pinching at his cheek to repay him for the embarrassment. "I haven't had a proper meal in over eight centuries. Although, I'd hardly consider a hamburger to be a proper meal."

"What about you, Jules?" Matthew asked, diverting the conversation to his son. "Are you tired at all?"

"A bit, but I'm fine." The teen replied.

Matthew pressed him further. "If you'd like, I could go grab a blanket for you." He offered, lilting his voice upwards in a caring, fatherly manner. "Maybe put you to sleep as well, like I did when you were little."

Jules smiled awkwardly at the memory. "I'm fine getting to sleep myself, Matt. I'll have you know, I'm not scared of the monsters under the bed anymore."

The younger vampire laughed. "Come on, let's get you all set up. We don't want you to be staying up too late." He said, rising to his feet. "We should be arriving in Salem Oaks tomorrow afternoon, and I'm not waking you up to grab your bags."

"You mean if I don't wake up, you'll leave me on the train?" Jules asked hopefully.

"You wish." Matt scoffed. "You'd have nowhere to go if you rode it back the way we came. The house isn't ours anymore, remember?"

"You would have to pay for another ticket, too." Casey quipped.

Jules's shoulders sagged. "Damn."

"Language, Julien." Casey scolded. "I applaud your thinking, though, but you're getting off of this train with us tomorrow, whether you like it, or not." He stated. "It's a good place, Julien. I promise you. What could be better than a fresh start?"

The redhead bit his lip.

A fresh start, huh?

"Alright boys, enough of that." Matt took Jules by the arm. "Off to bed."

"I'm no boy, Matthew." Casey pointed out matter-of-factly, the joking tone of Matthew's comment flying over his head quite completely. "If anything, you're the child. Don't forget, I'm more than six times your age."

Matthew groaned, massaging his temples. "Don't remind me."

"Learn to take a joke, Case."

"Let's get you to sleep, Jules." Matt lead his son over to the door to his compartment. "I'll help you with finding a few pillows." He slid open the door, moving inside, when Jules sucked in a gasp. "What? What is it?"

"N-nothing!" Jules shook his head. "I forgot something, hold on." He made his way back to Casey, who raised a brow at him.

"What's the matter, Julien?"

Silence enveloped the compartment, and Jules leaned in for a hug, wrapping his arms around Casey's chest, causing the man to stiffen up, unused to the gesture. "Goodnight, Dad."

A shocked look spread over Casey's face, and he stood dumbfounded as Jules hurried off. "G-goodnight, Julien!" He called back. "I... don't think I've ever heard him call me that before." Casey muttered to himself, unable to believe what he'd heard.

He hoped he made the right decision in moving them.

Matt drew blankets from Jules's suitcase, throwing one onto the seats and handing him the other. "Unfortunately, we didn't pack any pillows like I thought, so you'll have to rough it a bit." He stated, ruffling the boy's hair and planting a kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight, Julien. Tomorrow will be better, I promise."

Jules nodded. "Night, Matt." He dug around in his suitcase, the door clicking shut as his dad left, and found a pair of comfortable sweatpants to sleep in, as well as a coat. The teen changed out of his dirtied clothes, exchanging them for the ones he'd found and curling up on the seat, tucking the blanket around him and squeezing his eyes shut.

'Tomorrow will be better, I promise.'

The words echoed in his head, eventually managing to lull him to sleep.


	3. Arrival At The Carrigan Manor

Jules awoke to the sun suddenly beaming into his face, and Jules huffed, hoping to fall back asleep, even going so far as to throw his blanket over his face, but to no avail. Jules stumbled off the seat, groggily shoving the blankets back into his suitcase and zipping it up, able to hear a muffled, hushed conversation from the compartment next to him. The teen changed into a fresh outfit, and with a zombie-like grace, he managed to reach the door, half tripping out into his fathers' compartment as the door slid faster than he'd anticipated.

"Well, would you look at that!" Matt chuckled teasingly. "You're actually awake. We're getting close to the station." He nudged a tired Casey in the gut with his elbow, making him wince. "I was about to send Casimir to wake you."

"I didn't miss anything important, did I?" Jules asked, letting out a long, well-rested yawn.

"Not unless you find my first few years as a doctor entertaining. We didn't have proper anesthetics back then, so the tales are quite gruesome."

Casey shook his head. "Matthew, please, the boy hasn't had breakfast yet, there's no need to scare him into not being hungry." He tutted, then looked to Jules. "The conductor says it's going to be raining today. Supposedly, there's going to be a big thunderstorm this weekend." The man folded his arms over his chest. "I can't help but feel nervous going back home. How are you feeling, Julien? Is everything alright?"

Jules fell silent. "Yeah, I guess." He murmured. "I guess I'm just a bit put off by the thought that we're actually moving."

"Look, Julien, we had to move." Casey said softly. "With you being bullied and threatened, and my dying reputation as a teacher... the letter we received was a blessing to us. We have a house completely across the country where nobody knows us." He tipped Jules's head up by the chin, offering him a rueful smile. "And we sold the house, so we have money to go out and do fun things ━ and fund your college education!" The man gave a begging look. "Please understand, Jules."

The teen averted his gaze. "The bullying wasn't that bad, I could have handled it."

"Julien, that's not true, and you know it." Matthew replied.

"You had death threats sent to you, Julien."

"It's not like they would have followed through with it." Jules defended. "I only had a year left of being home schooled, we could have just stayed."

Matt eyed him sympathetically. "We know, Julien, but we didn't want you to be cooped up in an unhealthy environment." He reasoned. "A fresh start never hurt anyone, just ask Casimir."

"Casey's also older than everyone alive on this planet."

"You pose a fair point, although many vampires exist that are older than I. But what Matthew says is true." Casey searched for any possible reassurances he could use, then said, "The community here is closely knit. There's no bullying, no crimes, nothing. Nothing bad has ever happened. Not even a broken bone!"

"Casimir." Matt scolded harshly.

"It's safe." Casey settled.

Jules sighed. "Look, I get it. We're moving. That's it. Period." He let his hands fall at his sides. "But that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

Casey nodded his head in agreement. "We know, we just... we need you to understand."

"I get it."

A train whistle sounded overhead, and Matt jumped upwards. "Ah, do you hear that? The train ━ it's stopped! I'll start gathering up the bags." He chuckled nervously, quick to leave the room.

Jules gave him an odd look as he ran off, glancing to Casey, confused. "What's wrong with Matt?"

"His nerves are getting to him." Casey leaned back in his seat. "The last time he was here ━ before we moved away ━ it... it wasn't a very good experience for him." He admitted, then cleared his throat. "Why don't you go help him with the bags?"

The teen stood up from his seat and feigned a hurt look. "You're just trying to get rid of me, aren't you?"

"No!" Casey cried. "Nothing of the sort! I simply━"

"It's a joke, Casey." Jules eased. "You'd think after being alive for eight hundred plus years you'd have learned to have a sense of humor." He made his way back to the baggage car, where Matt sat busying himself with various boxes and suitcases. The ginger knocked quietly at the wall, causing the man to flinch, surprised. "Hey, do you need some help?"

Matt heaved a sigh of relief and nodded thankfully. "Yes, that would be very nice of you." He eased a few boxes into Jules's arms, stumbling slightly in his crouched position as the train slowed to a stop. "Trust me dear, I'm just as eager as you to move, but Casimir is your father, and he decided that a move would be best for... all of us."

The redhead struggled slightly with the boxes, somewhat managing to balance them. "I'd like to think he's right, but... I don't know." He shook his head, deciding to leave the subject alone. "Is there anything else you need help with, Mattie?"

"Ah, no, you're quite alright." Matt tousled his son's hair and stood up with a few of his own boxes. "James should be waiting outside, if you'd like to go ahead without me. We're riding with him to the house. He's Casimir's friend, the mayor. You can't miss him, really. Not with that big ego of his." 

Jules offered a laugh, which Matt merely smiled humorlessly at. "You don't like him too much, I take it?" He asked, tilting his head at him.

Matthew shook his head. "No, we never got along especially well." He rose up with the boxes in his arms, shaking his head. "I don't know what Casimir sees in him. Think what you will, but... I'd be wary of him, if I were you." The man stepped to the doors to the outside of the train, placing a hand on it as it unlocked. "Are you coming?"

"Er ━ yeah, of course!" Jules followed after his father, stepping down the stairs of the station, where he saw a dapper looking man dressed in a slim, pinstripe suit who stared at them with a pair of glassy, white eyes under the shade of his dark hair. "Is that him over there?"

The vampire followed his son's gaze, pursing his lips distastefully. "Let's get this over with."

"Matthew, be nice." Casey warned, stepping into the baggage car. "Kill him with kindness."

Matt glowered. "I plan to."

Casey rolled his eyes, giving Jules a nudge onto the stairs and quickening his pace so that they were a safe distance away from Matthew. "If you want to ask anyone about vampires, ask James. He's a lot kinder than he looks, trust me."

James stepped over to the two, a bright smile sneaking onto his lips, and he extended a hand to Casimir, who shook it, returning the smile. "It's nice to have you back with us, Casimir. The town misses it's old mayor's devilishly charming son." He chuckled, then looked to Jules, his eyes widening. "Ah, you must be Julien!" The man glanced up to Casey, cracking a grin. "Just like his father, no doubt?"

"Oh, much worse." Casey snickered.

Jules was amazed that Casey was joking around with someone, feeling a bit left out, since his father never really attempted to joke with him. "Erm... these boxes are heavy, Cass."

Casey quickly took the boxes from his son, urging him forward. "Come on, then. Let's get to the car."

Matt approached the group, taking Jules  by the shoulder. "I will be taking him to the car, Casimir." He shifted his eyes to James and paused for a moment. "James."

James offered a hand and laughed lightly, as if Matt had made a mild joke. "Matthew, lovely to see you again. It's been... what? Over a century?"

"Thereabouts." Matt confirmed.

"Well," James clapped his hands together and cleared his throat, sensing the awkward mood. "My car isn't too far. Come, I'll show you."

James's car was considerably plain, and average size, and the four slipped in, James in front, Casey beside him, Jules in the back behind James, and Matt behind Casey. The ride would take an hour or two to reach the town, and it certainly didn't take long for Jules to pass out onto Matt's shoulder with soft music playing into his ears.

Eventually, he was shaken awake by a bump in the road, and the teen jolted upwards, gazing out the window to see the outskirts of town. At the sight of it from afar, it didn't fail to take the cake for The Most Impossibly Perfect Town award. Fall was supposed to make anything seem creepier than it already was, but the town they were entering looked as if it were totally unaffected, with vibrant green pine and oak trees towering above it, scattering thousands of pine needles, cones, and vibrant emerald and orange colored leaves across the ground. Most of the buildings had been there for at least half a millennia, according to Julien's sparse research on it, but they looked like they'd just been finished the previous day. The town even had a freshly painted sign that read; Welcome to Salem Oaks.

Countless leaves fluttered down onto the windshield of the car, and Julien could vaguely hear one of his fathers over his music ━ he assumed it to be Casey, considering that Matthew rarely used any vulgar language ━ grumbling curses as the windshield wipers proved to be close to useless at batting them aside. And then there was the house. At least, that was how it had been advertised. From what Jules had looked up, after wondering what in the seven hells his parents were getting him into, it was a centuries old, two story building with four bedrooms, a huge ass living room, and a few bathrooms. All of the photos he'd came across online were in black and white, and there weren't many that showed more than a few feet of the house with the exception of the living room, so he knew not to expect anything in the old photos to be even mildly close to matching the present edition. It had been virtually abandoned for the past few decades, so lord knew what had become of it since then.

Apparently, the house had belonged to Casey's father ━ Jules's grandfather ━ who had passed away several years ago, and was left to him. Matt had been the one to receive the letter, and when Casey had read it, Jules was surprised that he didn't seem upset at the news. Although, he'd never met his grandfather, so he guessed someone dying after being away from them for what Jules guessed to be three years wouldn't have a whole lot of emotional impact.

But who would send a letter about a death years after the person had died?

The thought still nagged at him.

He'd researched the town, as well. Much like the house, there wasn't much to report. Rather, there wasn't anything to report. It was like none of the hundred or so people knew what the internet was. Not a single scrap of an old newspaper, pictures ━ nothing.

Casey had been the first to see the house, due to the fact that he'd flown over weeks before they started thinking about moving, and said the town was as virtually flawless as he'd remembered, with amazing neighbors, but Jules still had his doubts. Matt's tone had seemed strange to him in hearing the news, but he didn't think much of it then.

If anything, he'd end up as a scourge on this town too. Although, so would his entire household if anyone human managed to figure out that they were a family made up of a master vampire, his mate, and their son.  Vampires and other creatures were scattered about the world, and it wasn't too uncommon for people to rouse a panic. Despite being Casey's biological child, Jules hadn't received the vampire gene.

Jules didn't know much about vampires, despite both of his fathers being one, since while Casey had been gone for the first fourteen years of his life, Matt had decided that he would have no involvement in any supernatural affairs, and thus was forbidden to seek out knowledge of them. Jules didn't like that rule much, since the idea of vampires and werewolves and such excited him beyond belief. Occasionally, he could manage to snag a few tidbits from Casey whenever Matt wasn't around, since he didn't think Jules would be benefited from his ignorance, but that was rare in of itself, considering Matt overheard them talking once and had made a point to never be a room away since.

As the car pulled up through the front gates and came to a stop, Matthew reached a hand out to gently tug on the cord of his son's headphones, smiling nervously when the teen glanced up to look at him.

"Welcome home, Jules." He chuckled, then gave Casey a quick peck on the lips as his husband exited the car. "You know, this place is really big. You rarely went out to get exercise at our old house. Maybe you could go out and explore the woods, or something?"

"I guess." Jules mumbled passively, earning a slightly pitying look from the man. He unbuckled his seat belt, took his satchel into his arms, and opened up his car door, then hesitated, closed it, and turned back to his dad. "Sorry Matt. I... I'm just upset about all of this. Erm... are you sure we can't just leave Casey here and turn the car around? I love the guy to death, but let's face it; neither of us want to be here."

Matt rolled his eyes and gave Jules's head a small thump with his fist. "Don't joke like that, Julien. He loves the both of us ━ I think ━ and this is a great place for you to explore. I know it doesn't seem like much, but it's what we're stuck with for right now, and the place was cheap. Contrary to popular belief, vampires prefer bargain deals, not lavish fantasy homes. At least it's not a crypt." He pushed open his door and made his way to the back of the car, popped open the trunk, and heaved out Jules's bags, and, in return, the boy opened up his door and allowed the luggage to be thrust on to him.

"Might as well be when I get shunned by everyone." He remarked, gazing up at the house, which looked significantly less upkept than the rest of the town, but was still a decent place to live.

"Julien," Matthew tutted, shaking his head. "Nobody likes a pessimist. Besides, I'm sure we'll have a... lovely time here. After all, you're free from us after you graduate, so you only have to suffer for a year." He chuckled at the last bit and tousled Jules's hair. However, just before the two reached the front door of the house, Matt leaned in close to his son's ear. "Besides, I don't want to go through another week of being stuck in a car." He whispered, earning a snicker from Jules in return.

There was a small scuffle from behind the surprisingly pristine white door, and it swung open on its hinges, revealing a walkway leading to a living room filled with freshly dusted surfaces and no cobwebs, which was the exact opposite of what he'd been expecting. Older furniture that had supposedly been popular at some point in time sat snug beneath plastic wrapping layered over several times to protect them from damage.

Jules couldn't help but wonder about where his grandfather had gotten them, judging as how the designs of the many amenities about the house looked to date centuries back, and from distant countries. Maybe it would be an interesting place to stay after all. He did love a good mystery or two, especially if he could manage to dig up some decent details, or history on the place to get to know more about his family for once. Although, the last time he did an investigation was when he'd been playing detective as a kid trying to deduce what had happened to his runaway pet rabbit, and that didn't end quite well after Casey had admitted that the rabbit had passed away and had been thrown it into their dumpster in a shoebox.

His father wasn't much for sugar coating.

Casey gave Jules a small pat on the head and motioned towards the living room, which was larger than any other that he'd ever seen before, with a fireplace surrounded by various strange paintings and photographs depicting scenes from the past. "Do you like it? I moved some things around while I was here to make sure there was enough space for you to have friends come around and feel comfortable." He gave a slow, steady sigh and smiled down at his son with a soft chuckle. "Sit still while we start unloading the boxes, alright? Food is off limits until dinner gets here. Matt, let's get to it."

With that, the two older men left the teen alone and unsupervised. The term stay still wasn't exactly in Jules's vocabulary, and he allowed his feet to lead him around the room.

Friends.

The teen couldn't help but scoff.

In past years, he'd been known as the notorious wimp of the town, with kids punching him bloody left and right. The last time he'd been bullied by someone, he'd blacked out for what had felt like a few minutes, and woken up on the living room floor, his clothes soaked in blood, which Casey quickly covered up. He'd been told that the other teen had shoved him into the street, and they'd both been hit by a car. Jules had been the only one who'd survived, but he still found it strange that he hadn't felt any pain after waking up. Despite Matt's efforts of trying to convince him nothing had happened, Jules knew he'd killed the boy, but he didn't know how he'd done it. Matt and Casey hadn't let him outside since and shoved him into therapy, which Jules respected.

Somehow, he always felt that whatever bad happened was his fault. Hell, they were only in the new house because the entire city had known what happened, and Casey had quit his job as the school's most well-loved history teacher to be able to move to the new town, saying that it didn't bother him, as it was someplace nice and quiet to start fresh. Salem Harbor also had an open teaching position for Casey, and it was also halfway across the country, which had been perfect for them.

Nobody would know him here.


	4. The Dog

A gust of wind howled against the window of the kitchen, and Jules cast a curious look outside before making his way down a small path to the back door. He pushed open the door with a hand, his eyes widening at the scenery behind it. It wasn't particularly different than any other area of town that he'd seen, the only exception being a large, three tier fountain standing proudly in what was supposed to be the garden, with crystal clear water flowing elegantly over the top.

"Whoa." The teen breathed, and attempted to get a bit closer, but stumbled over his own feet and landed face first into the muddy grass a good few yards away. At least he hadn't landed in the fountain. His head began to spin, and he could hear a set of paws approaching him.

He rolled himself over so that he was facing upwards, and gazed into the eyes of relatively tall dog ━ it didn't seem big enough to be a wolf ━ standing above him. "H-hey there, big guy." Jules greeted, sitting up a little and grunting slightly at the effort. He gently pushed up the fur on the dog's neck and hummed, finding it to be bare. "No collar, huh? You certainly don't look lost."

The dog curiously examined Jules, tipping his head to the side in wonder when he sniffed at him, then letting out a low, defensive growl, his hackles rising.

"E-easy, boy... I don't want to hurt you." The redhead swore, then reached a hand out to the dog. "Can ━ can I pet you? Aww, there we go!" He grinned sheepishly as the dog seemed to hesitantly allow him to ruffle his fur, then glanced to the back door he'd came out of. "Hmm... alright boy, stay right here, okay? I'll go get one of my dads, and we can go around looking for your owner, how's that sound?" Jules twisted his head around for a final check about the area for anyone who might be looking for a dog, finding nobody around the area.

The dog tilted its head to the side slightly, confused, following at Jules's heels as he began to start for the house and sniffing at him a bit more, his ears suddenly perking up. He glanced up at the teen and gave a curious bark, enticing him to look around before smiling down and motioning for him to stay outside. However, the dog carried on, padding into the house behind Jules, who didn't seem to notice, when a familiar scent reached his nose.

With a whimper, the dog turned back to run, only for Jules to grasp at his fur.

"Hey, stop that! Er ━ Mattie, there's a stray dog out here! He followed me inside, and ━ wait!" Jules chased after the dog as it bolted out the back door. "Wait, come back little guy, I ━ oh... he's gone."

Matthew stepped out into the backyard and narrowed his eyes, concerned. "What was that? Something about a dog?" He quipped, then suddenly scrunched up his nose and coughed irritably, leaning in a bit closer to Jules and taking in a sniff. His eyes seemed to flash, and he paused to survey the backyard, narrowing his eyes and taking hold of his son's wrist, pulling him inside. "Come on inside, dear. You should take a shower, it's been a rough week, and you smell."

Jules let out a sigh. "But the dog..."

"Julien, honey, please. Inside. You'll catch a cold out here."

"Dad, it's like seventy degrees out."

"Julien."

The teen hung his head slightly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going, you don't have to snap." He grumbled, retreating to the living room to grab his suitcase full of clothes and toiletries that Casey had set down, surrounded by the beginnings of a pile of cardboard boxes. Jules took the handle into his palm, then decided to explore the house, moving into the kitchen to grab a sandwich out of the cooler before beginning his adventure.

After a while of mindlessly wandering about the first floor, he bumped into a staircase and jolted upright, tipping his head back to see how far up the stairs went. There weren't too many of them, and Jules figured that he could probably manage to scale them holding his suitcase without having one of them cave in beneath him, with how oddly stable they seemed.

Eventually, after carefully testing each individual stair, he reached the top and gazed around the second floor. It wasn't much, really. Just more odd paintings that got increasingly weirder as he passed them. One of them was a centuries old painting of a younger looking parent and his child ━ who didn't seem to be more than his age ━ sitting on the edge of the same fountain he'd seen in the backyard, except the scenery looked... dead.

The mood seemed oddly cheerful, with one of the two in the painting leaning on the other's shoulder, sleeping, and the other with a hand ruffling the child's golden hair. Brownish, greenish grass spread across the ground, and the trees looked even more ominous than the ones the car had driven past, with salamander orange leaves.

The child looked strikingly similar to what would be a younger version of Casey, most likely before he'd been turned, judging by his soft blue eyes, which were muted in color compared to the strikingly unnatural sapphire hue of the man's currently.

Shaking his head, the teen moved onto the next few rooms, taking bites from the turkey sandwich he'd grabbed and observing the available bedrooms. One piqued his interest, with light blue walls and a large, fancy looking bed in the corner, hidden behind sets of drapes.

"Looks like Matt won't have to unpack after all. This place is still furnished." He mumbled, stripping off the plastic wrap around the bed to reveal firmly pressed white sheets and pillows that held intricate designs stitched into the fabric. Humming under his breath, he made his way over to what he assumed to be the bathroom door and pulled it open, lips spreading out into a smile. It had a smooth marble bathtub with golden knobs along the walls to turn on the shower head, and a marble sink with golden handles to turn. "Pretty impressive for a bathroom."

Finished with his thorough inspection of the room, Jules pulled a self made door tag with his name on it from his pocket, and hung it on the door, then made his way to the bathroom, where he opened up his suitcase and began pulling out different soaps, along with towels, and a fresh pair of clothes to warm up while he showered.

Jules eased off his dirtied coat, tossing it onto a rack and pulling a towel from his pile, along with some of the soaps from his bag before slipping off his clothes. He gazed into the mirror, eyeing himself curiously and running a hand through his hair.

"What a weird dog that was." The teen shook his head, sighing and stepping into the tub, curling his fingers around the knob for the hot water and giving it a small twist. Cold water rushed down his back, and he shivered, relaxing as it warmed. "I need to stop worrying so much."

Steam soon billowed up to coat his face in condensation, and Jules ran a hand through his soaked hair, then curled up at the floor of the tub and groaned. His head pounded with hot pain, and he gritted his teeth a little. "Why'd he look so scared?" The teen asked himself, recalling the way the strange looking dog had attempted to tug him back.

Had he sensed what Matt and Casey were?

Jules shook his head with a small scoff. No, that was impossible.

"It doesn't make any sense..."

He made sure to give himself a thorough scrub-down, seeing as in their many days of travel, Casey hadn't stopped once for a motel.

Soon enough, Jules turned off the faucet and stumbled out of the shower, nearly slipping on the water slicked tiles, patting himself dry with a towel before wrapping it tightly around himself and making his way out to his new bedroom to change into pajamas.

The sun no longer shone in the sky to cast its wispy golden beams of light through the window and onto the polished floorboards, but had been replaced by a soft, pale glow from the nearly full moon rising into the night. He tugging on a t-shirt to wear and was about to turn back to his suitcase to hunt for the pair of pajama pants Matt had made him pack, when he caught eye of the same dog before hiding among the outer trees of the woods from the window.

He tilted his head to the side and approached it, half walking half hopping as he hiked up his pants to his waist. "He's... back?" The teen flipped the recently installed lock on the window and pulled it upwards, immediately causing the dog's eyes to flick towards him, his ears perked, and Jules couldn't help but tilt his head to the side when its ears pressed back against its skull.

He was about to call out for it, but the animal bolted, and he soon realized why when Matt stepped out to the fountain and seemed to scour the area, the intense look in his eyes visible from the second story window.

"Julien, dear!" Casey called from the stairs, rapping a fist against the wall, snapping the teen from his gaze. "Dinner!"

Dinner? How long had he been in the shower?

Despite his momentary confusion, Jules eagerly dashed downstairs, rustling his hair about beneath his towel to dry it so it didn't drip. "You mean we actually have edible food?" He asked, tilting his head to the side at the sight of Casey easing a freshly cooked steak along with mashed potatoes onto a plastic plate for him. "In any case, thanks," The teen gratefully took the plate into his hands, along with a steak knife, then added, "Father."

Casey's eyes widened a little, slightly shocked, and he cradled Jules's cheek in his palm, smiling softly. "Listen, Julien, I know we haven't really seen eye-to-eye much, given that I was away for so many years of your life, but..." He paused to pat his son's shoulder and pulled out a chair from the dinner table for him to sit, "I do appreciate it when you call me that. Granted, I don't expect it of you, since I don't especially deserve to be called Father, or the like, but it's nice. Never in my life did I think I wanted a child, but look at us here," Casey chuckled, turning to clean the pan he'd used in the sink beside the fridge. "While I don't like thinking of the future much, I will never regret agreeing to have you."

The teen smiled, but couldn't help but feel embarrassed at the confession, as if he were suddenly aware that Casey was, in fact, over eight centuries old. He was practically a baby still in the womb in Casey's mind, and the man preferred to be called Father instead of Dad because of 'how awkward and peculiar it sounded'., as well as how he grew up Sure, it seemed a bit weird, since he'd grown up calling Matt Dad, or Mattie, but calling Casey Father didn't bug him too much. He was thankful that Matt didn't have sudden gushes of feelings like Casey did, although Matt probably thought of him as a baby, too.

"Father?" Jules asked, shifting nervously in his seat and slicing through the meat on his plate, cutting himself a sliver and watching as the deep, red juices spilled onto the plate with a sort of savage delight. "What was it like? You know ━ when you lived here?"

Casey hummed, squeezing soap into the pan and scrubbing at it with a sponge. "Things were different then. I met many people, and create plenty of meaningful relationships, and I met Matthew, but you also have to be careful." He stated, ruffling Jules's hair with his free hand. "If you keep your nose out of people's affairs ━ which you are notorious for not doing ━ it'll be fine."

Noticing the look on his son's face, he hesitated, then shook his head. "It will be better here, Julien, I promise you." He paused his cleaning to pull up a chair beside his son and sat. "But you have to understand that the people here aren't like the people anywhere else," Casey paused to watch the change in Jules's facial expression, "But don't worry, this town isn't like the last."

"Case..." Jules gave the man a knowing look, and averted his gaze back to his plate. "You don't know that." He glanced back to Casey, who respectfully, but reluctantly nodded his head. "I'll try my best, okay?"

"I-I just... I don't want you to be upset with us moving."

Jules hummed, taking a bite of his potatoes before folding his arms on the table and grinning, remembering that Matt hadn't come in from the backyard. "Could you tell me more about vampires?" He asked in a hushed tone, a sort of giddy excitement bubbling up inside of him as Casey gave him a look and peeked out the back door.

"You're lucky he's out there." Casey set the pan to the side atop a towel to dry and stepped over to him, rummaging through the cooler that Matt had conveniently shoved under the table ━ Matt saw cleaning like some saw a child; out of sight, out of mind ━ and produced a blood bag from the salted sea of cold water. He brought it back to the counter and poured the contents into a mug, then popped it into the newly installed microwave.

"It's a wonderful life, if you play your cards right. You live for eternity, but," Casey paused to hold up a finger, "you have to watch as everyone around you passes away. You also have to live with the fact that you'll kill."

Jules shifted about in his seat, resting his chin on his arms. "Does every vampire kill?"

Casey nodded. "Yes. The body count is never zero, and it almost never stays below the twenty mark, unless you have the god of luck chasing at your heels." He waited for the microwave to finish heating up the blood, pulling out the mug and sliding a chair beside his son to sit. "Nobody ━ not even Matthew ━ could resist the call of blood. Even though I am much older than Matthew, I couldn't prevent him from killing. Of course, now that he's matured, he lives off of blood bags."

The teen took another bite of his food and drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "Why doesn't Dad want me to know about these things?"

There was a moment of hesitation, but he received an answer, nonetheless.

"It has to do with how he was turned, and his own experiences."

"How was he turned?"

Casey bristled and shook his head. "It is not my place to say."

Matt stepped inside the house and stretched, letting out a grumbling yawn as he did so. He shifted his attention to the two at the table and quirked a brow, surprised. "Are you bonding? Should I grab the video camera to commemorate the event?" The vampire teased, pressing a kiss to Jules's forehead as he passed by, delivering one to Casey on the lips. "What are my two favorite men in the world talking about?"

Casey's eyes flicked from Jules to Matt. "School, what else?" He chuckled, pulling Matthew down to him by his shirt collar and kissing him softly to ease any worries or suspicions he might have. "Find anything, dear? You were out there for quite some time."

The taller man shook his head, looking fairly concerned and disappointed. "No, nothing. Ah! Jules, how are you liking the house so far?" He took another chair and created a triangle with them, looking between the two. "I know it's not the best, obviously, since it's so old, and not many people have come here to clean up the place, but it was the best that Casey and I could do around here. The other houses were awfully expensive, and we already own this one," Matt stated apologetically, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Jules's ear. "Hmm... we'll have to find a barber around here."

Jules frowned at the thought. "I think my hair looks fine!" He protested, inching back to defensively push his hair back. "The house is nice, from what I've seen." The teen resumed cutting his steak, occasionally pausing to scoop mashed potatoes into his mouth and salting it to his preferred taste, as Casey didn't particularly have a knack for making food. "It all looks fine, though, really. I appreciate all the trouble you guys have gone through," Jules said, then suddenly clutched his head as the pain he'd felt in the shower returned at a much higher intensity than before. "Agh! I-I think I might have eaten too much of that gas station food. My head is killing me."

"Aww, honey..." Matt drew Jules in for a tight embrace and pressed a kiss to the boy's nose, chuckling when he squinted and screwed up his face in response. "Here, I have something I want you to try." He rummaged about in the cooler, producing a can. "Trust me, it'll make you feel better. It's extremely rich in vitamins. It's not soda, and it might taste bad, but it'll help." 

Jules examined the ruby colored can curiously, humming at the lack of a label.

"Is this some kind of vegetable juice? If I throw up, I'm not going to be the one cleaning up the floor," Jules grumbled, flicking the tab at the top forward with a popping crackle. He placed another strip of steak into his mouth and chewed, coughing at the feeling of juice rolling down the wrong pipe. "Ack ━ damn, that hurts."

Casey shot him a sharp look. "Language."

Matt rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I've heard worse from you, Casey. Let the boy speak his mind. You know kids. One day they'll realize cursing gets old," He remarked, pulling out a can for himself and knocking it back like a shot. The man flicked his tongue over his lips and swabbed at his mouth. "See? Not bad."

Jules shrugged indifferently, bringing the can to his lips and giving it a subtle sniff before sipping from it. It tasted odd, to say the least. A bit salty, and it felt weird as it rolled onto his tongue, but he didn't see anything wrong with it. Besides, Matt used to be a doctor, so if he said that the drink would help, he didn't think twice about trusting him.

A hush fell over the room, and Jules glanced at his Matt, who merely smiled painfully.

"W-what?" Jules furrowed his brows nervously, then laughed. "What's with the smile? What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Just thinking about how much you've grown." Matt's smile grew, and he sighed. "You'll make a fine man one day, Jules."

"Oh, shut up." Jules rolled his eyes and finished off the can, tossing it into the makeshift trash can they had, which was really just a plastic grocery bag taped down to a bucket that he remembered throwing up in a few times when he was younger. The remaining drops of liquid splattered onto the plastic, creating small red streamlets that clustered together and slid down to the bottom. "I'm going to head to bed. I'm beat."

Casey tilted his head. "You've barely done anything, aren't you going to start unpacking your things?"

Jules made a face. "Maybe tomorrow. I have a set of clothes in my bag upstairs."

Matt bit his lip and rose from his seat as Jules headed upstairs, hesitating. "H-honey, wait!" He cut himself off as a hand smoothed over his shoulder and took it into his palm, rubbing circles into it with his thumb. "Casey..." The man leaned his head into Casey's chest and sighed, combing a hand through his hair. "The poor baby's going through so much, I hope he's not overwhelmed. You know I hate all that he has to go through."

"I'm sure he'll be just fine, Matthew."

Jules stepped up to his room, pushing open the door and moving over to his bed, poking a finger at it for dust, only to find that it was clean, and judging by the smell, freshly washed. He took one final look at the not-so-humble room, deciding that he wouldn't mind sticking around in it until he escaped off to college.

The teen drew the covers back, slipping beneath them and reaching into his satchel, where he produced his phone and a charger for it, promptly plugging them both in after what seemed like an hour of playing I-spy with himself to find an outlet.

Checking the device, he noticed that he had a few unread messages from Casey, who still couldn't entirely figure out the workings of any electronic device, as well as a few e-mails from various colleges trying to advertise their details.

Regarding college, he didn't want to be the one child to move to the opposite side of the country to wrangle himself free from his parents, but he also didn't want to be close enough to where Matt and Casey could drive a few hours to check on him, or expected him to drive or fly home for the weekends.

That wasn't to say that he didn't like his fathers ━ which he did, very much ━ but wanted to break free from Matt's mixed array of mothering and fathering him at the same time, as well as Casey's constant attempts to forge a bond between them. In all honesty, he knew it wasn't fair to Casey, and that was a fact. He'd barely known the man for two years, and they still butted heads often, albeit less than he and Matthew did.

Settling his thoughts of the future aside, Jules resided to stuffing his face into the pillow, bundling himself up in blankets as if he were a swaddled newborn suffering from hypothermia. However, just as he was about to fall asleep, his bedroom door slowly creaked open, followed by a soft curse from Casey.

"Case? What are you doing in here?" Jules called out, his voice crackling slightly in his tired state. "I've told you countless times; I'm seventeen, I don't need to be tucked in to bed."

"Ah, no, I just... came to say goodnight, is all." Casey stepped inside, seating himself at the foot of the bed and heaving a sigh, leaning up against the bedpost. "What made you choose this room?"

Jules tilted his head. "Um... it was convenient, I guess, and it has a nice view." He admitted. "It has a desk, too, which is cool for homework and stuff."

Casey chuckled, shaking his head. "The walls in here used to be blue before my father made me paint them back. I'd often get bored and paint murals over the walls. He never liked it much." He tousled Jules's hair with a hand and offered a warm smile. "This used to be my bedroom. Mine and Matthew's for a year or so, before we moved and got married."

"Huh." Jules sat upwards, trying to imagine various paintings scattered about. He'd seen Casey sketch before, and they'd been absolutely breathtaking, despite being done with a simple spare pencil or pen lying about. "Why aren't you an art teacher?"

The man seemed to consider the thought for a moment before shaking his head once more. "I had my duties to fulfill."

"Like being devilishly handsome?"

Casey laughed, this time with humor. "That was a long time ago, Lee. I'm not as handsome anymore, just ask your dad." He planted a small kiss on the top of Julien's hair, pinching at his cheek. "Get some rest. You have a long day of unpacking tomorrow, and even more when the moving truck comes with everything else."

"So we really are staying here, huh?" Jules asked.

"It's going to be fine, just trust me." Casey said softly. "Can you do that for me?"

Jules shrugged, giving a reluctant nod. "Yeah."

"Good boy." The vampire praised, rising from the bed and making his way back over to the door. "Goodnight, Julien."

"Goodnight, Case."

The door clicked shut, and Jules eased his head back to the pillow.

_'Maybe Casey was right. Maybe the move wouldn't be so bad after all.'_

**Author's Note:**

> It's not the greatest, but it's not the worst.


End file.
